Cause for celebration

The scoring of a goal is obviously a cause for celebration among the team that has found the back of the net, as well as their supporters. Nevertheless, football's authorities take a dim view of celebrations that overstep the mark, or which could provoke incidents among spectators.

Acceptable limits
Referees are called upon to act if they feel that the festivities following a goal – players climbing up perimeter fences, running behind the goal, or removing a shirt to reveal slogans – are going over the top or are likely to incite trouble off the field, and Europe's national football associations are expected to take measures to ensure that the 'buzz' of hitting the target stays within acceptable limits. 

SFA acts
But how exactly should referees deal with players whose unconfined joy gets out of hand? In one such example of an association moving to act on the matter, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) has written to all clubs in Scotland to explain how referees should deal with players who celebrate excessively after scoring a goal. In addition, police are to visit all Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League clubs in the near future to talk to coaches and players about the issue.

Serious difficulties
"Some players have provoked crowd reactions and surges by deliberately leaving the field of play for a goal celebration," explained Drew Herbertson, head of the SFA's disciplinary department. "This can cause serious difficulties for police and stewards, whose principal responsibilities lie with the safety of spectators.

Displays of emotion
"Of course, scoring a goal is a supreme part of football and leads to displays of emotion, and the Laws of the Game recognise this by stating that reasonable celebration is allowed after a goal. Referees have generally acted sensibly in their handling of celebrations, but they must retain discretion to caution players who go too far."

Set of guidelines
The SFA has now issued a set of guidelines to referees that should be taken into account when a goal is scored. Firstly, referees are expected to act preventatively to ensure that there are no excessive celebrations. The match officials have also been advised that leaving the field of play to celebrate a goal is not an automatic cautionable offence. A player who, by his momentum or follow-up to scoring a goal, jumps over the advertising board or runs behind the goal, then quickly returns to the field need not be cautioned. Nevertheless, the association says it is essential that players return to the field of play quickly.

Cautionable offences
However, referees are expected to caution players if, in the referee's opinion, they make gestures that are provocative, derisory, inflammatory or intended to incite or ridicule opponents or opposing supporters, or if they run to the perimeter wall to celebrate excessively with spectators.

Players' behaviour
"The key factor is the behaviour of the players themselves, as their actions lead to the problem of crowd reactions and surges," continued Robertson. "From the perspective of the police, the area between the playing surface and the perimeter fence is a 'sterile area', and any spectator entering this area would be arrested and charged with a breach of the peace."

Police briefings
He added: "Players going to the perimeter fence create obvious difficulties for the police. So clubs should warn their players of the risks they take by leaving the field of play, particularly when spectators become involved. The police take these matters seriously, which is why they are conducting briefings at clubs."